TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Ole Miss 7,
Little Rock 4
@UT Martin 22, Alabama A&M 4
Southern Indiana 7, @Middle Tennessee 2
Lindenwood 3, @Southern Illinois 1
@Southeast Missouri 8, Murray State 1
@Western Kentucky 12,
Tennessee Tech 0
OLE MISS 7, LITTLE ROCK 4
OXFORD, Miss. - Little Rock jumped out early and continued to apply pressure throughout, but Ole Miss used a pivotal fifth inning to pull away late in a 7-4 decision Tuesday morning at Swayze Field.
The Trojans (17-12) matched the Rebels with 13 hits and showcased their offensive depth against one of the top programs in the country, building an early advantage and staying within striking distance into the late innings.
Little Rock wasted no time getting on the board. Nolan Freund delivered an RBI single in the first inning, and the Trojans added to their lead in the second with back-to-back home runs from Cooper Chaplain and Cade Martin to take a 3-1 advantage.
Freund led the way offensively, going 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Chaplain and Martin each recorded multi-hit performances and drove in a run. Easton Roe added two hits, and Jack Bilski provided a key RBI single in the eighth inning to bring the Trojans within one.
On the mound, Nic Bronzini set the tone early, allowing just one run while striking out five over 2.2 innings of work. The Trojan staff combined for 13 strikeouts against a disciplined Ole Miss lineup.
Ole Miss (20-10) used a three-run fifth inning to take the lead and added insurance late, but Little Rock continued to compete throughout, holding the Rebels to eight hits and forcing action into the late innings.
UT MARTIN 22, ALABAMA A&M 4
MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team extended its winning streak to five games with a season-high 22 runs in a 22-4 seven inning victory over Alabama A&M.
UT Martin (15-13) had seven extra-base knocks and two-hit days from TJ Grines (four RBIs, triple, two stolen bases), Andrew Davis (stolen base, two RBIs), Colten Payton (double, RBI), Andrew Lawrence (three runs scored, stolen base), JT Popick (double, four runs scored, two RBIs), Cameron Greene (two RBIs) and Garner Anderson (home run, four RBIs). TJ Dunsford (two RBIs), Eli Huebner (two RBIs) and Tommy Koch (two RBIs) notched doubles for the Skyhawks who outhit the Bulldogs 18-8.
Brandon King (2-3) earned his second straight win behind five innings and two strikeouts while Drake Bayles (one inning, no runs allowed, one strikeout) and Mason Little (one inning, no runs allowed, one strikeout) pitched out of the bullpen and kept Alabama A&M (7-24) off the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs claimed an early lead, but a four-run bottom of the first put UT Martin in the driver’s seat. Davis drove in Grines on a sacrifice fly that was followed by a Popick RBI double to left and a Greene two-run single to center. King tossed a no-hit second and his offense added on to its run total in the bottom of the third with seven runs. Koch doubled to score two with the bases loaded and another run came home off a catcher’s interference call. Davis wore a pitch with bases loaded and Payton brought Anderson home on a sacrifice fly. Dunsford hit the second two-run double of the inning for the Skyhawks to lead 11-4 after three.
King’s perfect fourth lead to a “little league grand slam” by Grines where the senior recorded a triple with the bases loaded and scored on a throwing error. Anderson scored Popick with a single through the left side in the fifth and UT Martin carried a 16-4 lead into the sixth. The Skyhawks finished their scoring in the contest during the home half of the sixth with a sacrifice fly from Popick, two-run double by Huebner and Anderson’s three-run shot over the center field wall.
Little made quick work of Alabama A&M in the top of the seventh for UT Martin secure its 13th win at Skyhawk Field this season.
SOUTHERN INDIANA 7, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 2
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - University of Southern Indiana Baseball scored six runs late and defeated Middle Tennessee State, 7-2, Tuesday afternoon at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. USI is 18-11 this season, while MTSU is 16-13.
USI opened the scoring in the first inning when senior catcher Micajah Wall gave the Screaming Eagles a 1-0 lead with a bases-loaded walk. The 1-0 lead would last until the five inning with five USI hurlers holding MTSU to one hit.
The Blue Raiders responded to USI's first inning run with a pair of tallies in the sixth to lead 2-1. The Screaming Eagles bounced back to retake the lead, 3-2, with a pair of runs of their own in the top of the seventh.
Wall tied the score, 2-2, by knocking in a run on a bases-loaded fielder's choice, while junior pinch hitter Drue Saenz gave USI back the lead, 3-2, by also reaching on a fielder's choice.
USI sealed the victory with three more runs in the top of the eighth. Senior first baseman Patrick McLellan and senior shortstop Clayton Slack recorded RBI-singles, while McLellan would go on to score on a throwing error. McLellan finished the game with a team-high three hits.
The Screaming Eagles capped off their scoring with a run in the ninth when junior pinch runner Dane DeWees scored after junior third baseman Parker Martin reached on an error for the eventual 7-2 final score.
On the mound, junior right-hander Levin East recorded his team-high fifth win of the year in relief. East allowed two runs on two hits and a walk.
Graduate right-hander Nathan Anderson, junior right-hander Jacob Barrett, senior left-hander Jake Porter, graduate right-hander Ian Anderson, and sophomore right-hander Caydon Laird preceded East to the mound and allowed only one hit in five innings.
LINDENWOOD 3, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 1
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Lindenwood baseball team (12-16, 0-6 OVC) got back in the win column on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over Southern Illinois (10-17, 1-2 MVC). After not holding a lead through the first eight frames, Jake Radosevich put Lindenwood in front in the top of the ninth with a solo homer.
Radosevich and Charlie Isom-McCall led LU offensively, with both batters going 2-4 in the contest.
Meanwhile, five Lindenwood pitchers combined to allow just four hits while ringing up seven strikeouts. Easton Rakers got the win after allowing no runs on one hit with four strikeouts through the final two innings.
The Salukis took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning, loading the bases with no outs to set up Jaden Flores sacrifice fly that plated Jacob McKenze. However, Lindenwood reliever Braden Branigan retired the next two batters to get out of the inning without any further damage.
The score remained 1-0 in the seventh inning, but a two-out fielding error on a high and deep fly ball off the bat of Kam Edwards allowed Jake Radosevich – who had reached on a leadoff single – to hustle his way home from first base for the tying run.
After Lindenwood stranded a runner on third in the top of the eighth, SIU moved a runner into scoring position with no outs in the home half. However, Easton Rakers sat down three consecutive batters – including two by strikeout – to shut down the scoring chance.
The game's defining moment came in the top of the ninth, with Jake Radosevich stepping to the plate and taking a ball deep to left center for a go-ahead home run. It was Radosevich's team-leading sixth homer of the season.
The Lions would add an insurance run later in the frame with Kam Edwards singling, stealing second, and moving to third on a throwing error before coming home to score on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-1.
The Salukis had a two-out base runner in the bottom of the ninth, by Rakers finished the job without allowing a run to pick up his first win of the season.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, 8 MURRAY STATE 1
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (21-8) secured a decisive 8-1 victory over Murray State (19-10) on Tuesday night at Capaha Field. Southeast Missouri's offense was highlighted by a three-run third inning and another three-run surge in the fourth.
SEMO secured an 8-1 victory over Murray State, with significant contributions in the third and fourth innings. Logan Yule doubled to right field, setting the stage for Caleb Klein's RBI triple, which brought Yule home. Cal Sullivan then extended the lead with a two-run homer to right center, scoring Klein. The inning closed with Southeast Missouri ahead 3-0.
In the fourth inning, Andrew Ramirez got on base with a walk and advanced on a wild pitch. Sullivan singled to right field, driving in Ramirez and Yule. Joe Hall's fielder's choice allowed Klein to score, increasing the lead to 6-0.
Murray State managed to score in the eighth inning with a solo home run by Kaine Jorge, but Southeast Missouri responded in the bottom half. Tank Sims singled and Yule followed with a single as well. Klein's bunt single loaded the bases, and sacrifice flies by Sullivan and Hall brought in two more runs, concluding the inning with an 8-1 lead.
WESTERN KENTUCKY 12, TENNESSEE TECH 0
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Tennessee Tech ran into a tough night on the road Tuesday, falling 12-0 at WKU in a seven-inning contest at Nick Denes Field.
The Golden Eagles (9-20) were held without a hit, as WKU's pitching staff combined on the effort while striking out seven. Tech managed just two baserunners on the night, drawing walks from Owen Lee and Luke Bragga, and also saw Jorsixt Jimenez reach after being hit by a pitch.
Despite the final score, the Golden Eagles found a few bright spots on the mound. Drew Kirby worked out of a jam in the fifth inning, tossing a scoreless frame while allowing no hits and striking out one. Lawson Stricklin also delivered a clean outing, retiring the only batter he faced with a strikeout to close out the game.
Carson Davis drew the start for Tech, allowing three runs over two innings while striking out a pair. Eli Huddleston and Justin Fallon each contributed innings in relief as the Golden Eagles used seven pitchers in the contest.
WKU (16-13) broke the game open with a three-run second inning and continued to add on, finishing with 14 hits, including a home run from Kyle Hayes.